Omsairam

CONTENT OF THE LESSONS

WEEK ONE

LESSON 1 : INTRODUCTION

LESSON 2 : GET TO KNOW THE POET

LESSON 3 : THE SETTING - JAMAICA

LESSON 4 : VOCABULARY – DICTIONARY SKILL

LESSON 5 : LITERARY ELEMENTS & VOCABULARY GAMES

WEEK TWO

LESSON 6 : GRAMMAR CHECKPOINT & CHAIN READING

LESSON 7 : GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE POEM

LESSON 8 : LITERAL MEANING AND IMPLIED MEANING

LESSON 9 : THEMES

LESSON 10 : MORAL VALUES

WEEK THREE

LESSON 11: WRITE YOUR OWN POEM

LESSON 12: HAVE I UNDERSTOOD?

LESSON 13: POETRY ANALYSIS

LESSON 14: AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

1
LESSON 1 : INTRODUCTION
Topic : Understanding The Title & Make It Right
Time : 40 minutes
Objectives : To introduce the poem Nature by H.D.Carberry
To understand the title of the poem.
To train students to listen and read the poem.
Related Skills : Listening and Speaking
Vocabulary related to Nature
Teaching Aids : LCD PowerPoint, Images of nature, Worksheets,
Model Reading of The Poem.
Techniques : Questioning , Brainstorming

SET INDUCTION ( 5 MINUTES )

 Teacher tells students that today they are going to learn a poem.
 Teacher displays a slide show on Beautiful Nature. (Nature)

 Teacher asks questions based on the slide show.

What did you see in the slide show?
Give some examples of words related to nature.
How important is nature to our lives?
What can you learn from the slide show?
Can you guess the title of the poem?
 Teacher praises students who respond to the questions by using remarks such as : ‘good’,
‘very good’, ‘good try’, ‘you are right’, etc.
 Teacher explains the meaning of the word Nature and importance of Nature to our lives.

DEFINITION OF NATURE:

Nature means everything in the physical world that is not controlled by

humans, such as wild plants and animal, earth and rocks, and the weather. ( Longman
– Dictionary of Contemporary English)

2
 IMPORTANCE OF NATURE:

Nature is all around us. We can’t live without nature. Therefore, we must
appreciate and learn to preserve the beauty of nature as God’s gift to us. Once nature
is destroyed it can never be replaced. The destruction of nature also results in the loss
of habitat and precious wildlife.

ACTIVITY 1 : ( 10 MINUTES ) – UNDERSTANDING THE TITLE

 Teacher distributes Worksheet 1. (Appendix 1)

 Teacher asks students to brainstorm for words related to nature and complete the
worksheet. Students are reminded to write the words based on their own experience or
based on the slide show.
 Teacher calls a few students to read out their words.
 Teacher asks students to tell their understanding of the title of the poem.
 Teacher explains the significance of the title – NATURE

ACTIVITY 2 : (20 MINUTES ) – THE POEM – MAKE IT RIGHT

 Teacher asks students to listen to the model reading of the poem Nature by H.D.Carberry.
 Teacher distributes Worksheet 2 containing lines from the poem which are in wrong
order. (Appendix 2)
 Teacher replays the model reading of the poem and asks students to rearrange the lines
while listening to the model reading.
 Teacher discusses the answer with students and tells the synopsis of the poem.
 Students are asked to copy the poem inside their exercise books. (Homework)

SYNOPSIS OF THE POEM- NATURE:

Nature is a one-stanza poem. The objective of the poem is to portray the appealing cimate
found on the island of Jamaica. In this poem, the poet writes about Jamaica, his country where
there is no definite seasons in a year. The poet states that in his country Jamaica, they do not
have the regular seasons of the temperate countries such as spring, summer, autumn and winter.

3
 Instead they have days of bright sunshine and days of heavy rain. There are also days when the
trees are bare and the leaves drop to the ground and the canefields are bare after a harvest. But
the best time of all when the mango and logwood blossom with growth of grass and flowers
filled with the buzzing of bees and scent of honey, where there is a beauty and fine weather all
around.

CONCLUSION : (5 MINUTES )

 Teacher summarize today’s lesson by explaining the title Nature and importance of
nature in humans’ lives.

 Teacher ends the lesson by displaying another slide show about beautiful nature to
strengthen students’ understanding about the title of the poem.

 Homework – Teacher asks students to gather some information about the poet for the
next class.

LESSON 2 : GET TO KNOW THE POET

Topic : About The Poet – H.D.CARBERRY

Time : 40 minutes

Objectives : To understand the background of the Poet.

To deepen students’ understanding of the themes of the poem.

Related Skills : Listening , Speaking and Writing

Teaching Aids : LCD PowerPoint, Picture of H.D.Carberry, Worksheet,

Listening Text About The Poet, Handouts

Techniques : Questioning, Pairwork

4
SET INDUCTION : ( 5 MINUTES )

 Teacher writes H.D.Carberry’s name on the whiteboard.

 Teacher asks students why they should know the poet’s background.

 Teacher explains the significance of today’s lesson and the importance of understanding
the poet’s background.

ACTIVITY 1 : ( 20 MINUTES ) ABOUT THE POET

 Teacher calls a few students to give some information about H.D.Carberry based on their
findings. (Homework)

 Teacher displays the picture of H.D.Carberry and plays an audio recording about the
background of the poet.

 Teacher distributes Worksheet . Students are asked to complete information about the
poet while listening to the audio recording. (Appendix 3)

 Teacher discusses the answers with the students to strengthen their understanding about
the poet’s background.

 Teacher distributes Handouts about the background of the poet. (Appendix 4)

ACTIVITY 2 : ( 10 MINUTES ) – YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE POET

5
  Teacher asks students two questions based on the poet’s background:

What is your opinion about H.D.Carberry?

Why do you think H.D.Carberry wrote this poem?

 Teacher asks students to write a short paragraph about their opinion about the poet and
why they think he had written the poem.

CONCLUSION : (5 MINUTES)

 Teacher ends the lesson by explaining the connection between the poet’s background and
the main theme of the poem.

 Homework -Teacher reminds students to gather some information about Jamaica before
the next class.

LESSON 3 : THE SETTING- JAMAICA

Topic : The Setting Of The Poem

Time : 40 minutes

Objectives : To understand about the setting of the poem.

To understand about the island of Jamaica.

To deepen students’ understanding about the theme of the poem.

Related skills : Listening and Speaking and Writing Skill

Teaching Aids : LCD Powerpoint, Images of Jamaica, Handouts

Techniques : Questions, Quiz

SET INDUCTION : ( 5 MINUTES )

6
  Teacher displays video clips of two famous personalities from Jamaica .

Bob Marley and Usain Bolt

 Teacher asks students to guess their names.

 Teacher informs students that they will learn about Jamaica in today’s lesson.

ACTIVITY 1 : ( 20 MINUTES ) THE POET’S HOMELAND - JAMAICA

 Teacher displays slide shows on Jamaica Google Map and Jamaica.

 Teacher gives some useful information about Jamaica by displaying the information on
LCD PowerPoint.

 Quiz – Teacher reads out ten quiz questions about Jamaica.(Appendix 5)

 Students are asked to raise their hands and give the answer. Students who manage to give
the correct answer will be rewarded with a sweet.

ACTIVITY 2 : ( 10 MINUTES ) - NATURAL SETTING OF JAMAICA

 Teacher explains the natural setting of the countryside and farmlands that is described in
this poem.

 The displays video clips of natural settings of Jamaica :

Canefields of Jamaica

Tall trees struggling high Jamaica winds

Swish of water in the gullies

Bright yellow buttercups

Buzzing bee

CONCLUSION : (5 MINUTES)

7
  Teacher summarizes the lesson by stressing the importance of understanding the setting
of the poem.

 Teacher gives a question : (Homework)

Would you like to visit the island of Jamaica? Why?

 Teacher asks students to write a short answer for the above question inside their exercise
books.

LESSON 4 : VOCABULARY – DICTIONARY SKILL

Topics : Using Dictionary & Pronunciation Practice

Time : 40 minutes

Objectives : To help students with unfamiliar words.

To use dictionary to find word meanings.

Related Skills : Dictionary Skill, Vocabulary and Speaking Skill

Teaching Aids : LCD PowerPoint, Dictionary, Worksheet, Handout

Techniques : Pair Work, Brainstorming

ACTIVITY 1 : (30 MINUTES) – USING DICTIONARY

 Teacher distributes dictionaries and Worksheets containing 12 words taken from the
poem –Nature. (Appendix 6)

 Teacher asks students to work in pairs and find the meaning of the words in the
dictionary

 After 15 minutes teacher asks students to read out the meanings.

 Teacher displays images of a few selected words from the poem using LCD PowerPoint.

 Teacher replays displays video clips depicting the natural settings of Jamaica used in
lesson 3 to strengthen students understanding.

8
  Teacher explains the meanings of the words and distributes handout containing meanings
of the words. (Appendix 7)

ACTIVITY 2 : (10 MINUTES ) – OUR SENSES

 Teacher distributes worksheet containing a mind map about words related to their senses.
(Appendix 8)

The Sense of Sight

The Sense of Hearing

The Sense of Taste

The Sense Of Smell

The sense of Emotion/Feeling

 Teacher asks students to complete the mind map.

 Students are asked to read out the words.

LESSON 5 : LITERARY ELEMENTS AND

VOCABULARY GAME
Topics : Literary Elements & Word Explosion

Time : 40 minutes

Objectives : To understand figurative meanings of words in the poem.

To understand meaning of words in a fun way.

To enable students to make word associations in order to extend their

vocabulary.

Related Skills : Thinking Skill and Vocabulary

Teaching Aids : Handouts, Mahjong Papers, markers

Techniques : Brainstorming, Group Work

9
ACTIVITY 1 : (20 MINUTES) – LITERARY ELEMENTS

 Teacher explains the meanings of Symbolism and Personification in the poem.

Symbolism – A thing that stands for something else.

( Example: buttercups represents beauty )

Personification – An object being given a human quality.

( Example: the trees struggle – human struggle )

 Teacher gives some examples of the three literary elements found in the poem.

 Teacher asks students to sit in groups of 4-5 and distributes worksheets.(Appendix 9)

 Teacher asks students to discuss and find examples of symbolism, metaphor and
personification found in the poem.

 Teacher discusses the answers with the students.

(Suggested activities for Vocabulary Games)

ACTIVITY 2 : (20 MINUTES) – BINGO

 Teacher asks students to sit in groups of 4 or 5.

 Teacher distributes envelops containing words found in the poem and words related to
nature.

 Teacher starts the game by reading out the meaning of the words. The students must
shout “BINGO” and tell the word.

 The group with the most correct answers is the winning group.

ACTIVITY 2 : (20 MINUTES ) – WORD EXPLOSION

 Teacher asks students to remain in their groups.

10
 Teacher gives each group a mahjong paper and a marker.

 Teacher asks each group to write the word ‘NATURE’ in the middle of the mahjong
paper.

 Get students to make as many words as they can that are related to ‘NATURE’ in five
minutes.(Students may use words from the poem).

 Ask students to extend from the words they have chosen.

( like a spidergram )

 Teacher asks the groups to present their findings and explain the reasons for choosing
those words.

LESSON 6 : GRAMMAR CHECKPOINT AND

CHAIN READING
Topic : Grammar Practice & Chain Reading

Time : 40 minutes

Objectives : To encourage students to focus on some basic grammatical rules.

To read the poem aloud with correct stress, intonation and expression

Related Skills : Grammar and Speaking Skill- Poetry Recitation

Teaching Aids: Worksheet, The poetry text

Technique : Reading Aloud

ACTIVITY 1 : ( 20 MINUTES ) – GRAMMAR CHECKPOINT

 Teacher asks students to pick out examples of nouns, adjectives, adverbs and verbs in the
poem.
11
  Teacher tells that the poem abounds with nouns, adjectives and verbs. This is because the
poem is mainly a descriptive poem, expressing the beauty and power of nature.

 Teacher distributes worksheet for grammar checkpoint.(Appendix 10)

 Students are asked to read the poem and fill up the boxes with the suitable words.

ACTIVITY 2 : (20 MINUTES) – CHAIN READING

 Tell students to make two big circles in the classroom.

 Get a student to read a line, starting from the title, followed by the name of the poet
H.D.Carberry and the fifteen lines of the poem.

 Encourage students to read with correct intonation and expression.

 Once reading starts, it must be continuous so that the chain ( flow ) will not be broken.
After a few rounds ask the groups to read the whole poem together.

LESSON 7 : GENERAL UNDERSTANDING

OF THE POEM
Topics : Put Me Straight & The Weather Of Jamaica

Time : 40 Minutes

Objectives : To introduce the lines of the poem in a fun way.

To understand the weather condition of Jamaica.

Related Skills : Reading, Writing and Speaking

Teaching Aids: Worksheets

Techniques : Questioning, Group work

ACTIVITY 1 : (10 MINUTES ) – PUT ME STRAIGHT

12
  Teacher gets students to sit in groups of 4 – 5.

 Teacher distributes Worksheet containing scrambled words from the lines of the poem
and the lines are not in the correct order. (Appendix 11)

 Tell students to unscramble the words to form the lines of the poem.

 The group that is able to finish with most correct answers wins.

 Students are not encouraged to refer to the poetry text.

 At the end of the session, teacher asks students to tell the correct order of the lines
according to the poem.

ACTIVITY 2 : ( 30 MINUTES ) - THE WEATHER OF JAMAICA

 Teacher asks students questions related to the weather condition in Jamaica:

What are two main weather condition in Jamaica?

What are the elements of nature mentioned in the poem

 Teacher asks student to explain their findings.

 Teacher briefly describes the weather condition in Jamaica:

 Teacher distributes Worksheet containing the positive and negative elements of nature.

(Appendix 12)

 Teacher asks students to discuss in their groups and identify the lines in the poem that
explains the positive and negative elements of nature.

 Teacher discusses answer with the students.

 Teacher distributes another worksheet to be done as homework. (Appendix 13)

LESSON 8 : LITERAL MEANING AND IMPLIED MEANING

Topic : Literal Meaning & Implied Meaning Of The Poem

13
Time : 40 minutes

Objectives : To understand the literal and implied meanings of the poem.

To help students to understand the poem.

Teaching Aids: LCD PowerPoint, Worksheets

Techniques : Pair work

ACTIVITY 1 : (30 MINUTES) – LET’S MAKE SENSE

 Teacher distributes Worksheet containing the lines of the poem.

 Students are asked to discuss with their partners and to write down the literal meaning of
the poem.

 Students are asked to write down the lines using their own words.

 Teacher asks students to read out their answers.

 Teacher displays LCD PowerPoint containing Literal Meaning of the poem.

 Teacher explains the literal meaning of the poem:

Literal Meaning of The Poem

The beauty of the Jamaican sun and canefields come alive in the poem. During the
Hot season, the sun is bright and strong and the canes are tall, thick and green. On some
Day, rains come down in torrents and fall mercilessly on Jamaican house. Gullies and
streams quickly filled up with water. The wind blows strongly and trees feel the
onslaught. Then the weather changes again and all is calm. It is warm again and the canes
are cut. Canefields lie barren after the harvest. Then there is a burst of energy and
rejuvenation of life. The plants and insects come out in abundance and this is the best
time of the year.

ACTIVITY 2 : (10 MINUTES ) – IMPLIED MEANING OF THE POEM

 Teacher calls out a few students to tell the implied meaning of the poem based on their
understanding.

14
  Teacher explains the implied meanings of the poem:

Implied Meaning of The Poem

This poem is simply about nature. It is talking about the natural cycle of nature and
the cycle of life. The poet is trying to convey that the message that in life, there will be
bad times and good times. The line “We have neither Summer nor Winter, Neither
Autumn no Spring”, gives us a sense of absence. But the line “We have instead the days”,
gives us the sense of compensation. The poem is indeed about the cycle of life. It shows
that man will go through good times and bad times in the cycle of life. The best moments
or events happen after a series of really terrible periods in life. Therefore, man must be
patient when face with tribulations and show gratitude when blessed with wealth and
prosperity.

LESSON 9 : THEMES

Topic : The Themes Of The Poem

Time : 40 minutes

15
Objectives : To understand the themes of the poem

To encourage team work

Related Skills : Speaking and Writing

Teaching Aids: Worksheet, Handout

Techniques : Group Discussion, Oral Presentation

ACTIVITY : (40 MINUTES ) – THE THEMES

 Teacher asks the students a question:

What do you think the poet is trying to say in the poem?

 Teacher tells three main themes of the poem:

Cycle Of Nature

Man’s Cycle Of Life

Beauty Of Nature

 Students are asked to sit in groups of 4 or 5. Teacher distributes Worksheet containing a

graphic organizer about the themes. Students have to discuss complete the chart by
explaining the themes based on the poem. (Appendix 15)

 Teacher calls representative from each group to present their findings.

 Teacher explains the themes.

 Teacher calls out a student to repeat the themes.

 Teacher distributes handouts containing the themes. (Appendix 16)

LESSON 10 : MORAL VALUES

Topic : Moral Values Of The Poem

Time : 40 minutes
16
Objectives : To understand the moral values of the poem.

To enable students to express their feelings and opinions.

Related Skills : Speaking and Writing

Teaching Aids: Pictures Of Natural Disasters, Video Clip

Worksheet.

Techniques : Open Class Discussion

ACTIVITY 1 : (10 MINUTES) – A PICTURE SAYS A THOUSAND WORDS

 Teacher distributes pictures of natural disasters and asks students to express their feelings
and opinions about the disasters. (Appendix 17)

 Teacher highlights two moral values of the poem:

Appreciate and Conserve Nature

Appreciate One’s Own Country

ACTIVITY 2 : (30 MINUTES ) – THE MORAL VALUES

 Teacher distributes worksheet containing a graphic organizer about the moral value.
(Appendix 18)

 Teacher asks students to work in pairs and complete the graphic organizer.

 Teacher conducts a classroom discussion about the moral values found in the poem
Nature .

 Teacher distributes handouts containing the moral values. (Appendix 19)

 Teacher plays a video clip about MALAYSIA.

 Teacher calls a few students to share their feeling about being a Malaysian and stresses
the importance of appreciating one’s own country.

LESSON 11: WRITE YOUR OWN POEM

 Teacher lets students watch video clips on poems based on NATURE.

17
  Teacher asks students work in groups to create a simple poem based on nature in general
or based on Malaysian context.

 Students are advised to use words they have learnt in the previous classes.

 The students present their poems in class.

 Homework : Writing individual poem.

LESSON 12 : HAVE I UNDERSTOOD?

Objectives:

 To conduct a diagnostic assessment for students to recall information from the poem to
get insight into how well they have learned.

 To give indication to the teacher of how well the information has been taught in the
previous lessons. (Appendix 20)

LESSON 13 : POETRY ANALYSIS

Objectives:

 To allow students to present a graphic representation of the poem.

 To encourage students to give personal responses to the poem. (Appendix 21)

LESSON 14 : AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

Objective:

 To allow the students to present their understanding of the poem in a creative way.
(Appendix 22)

REPORT BASED ON CLASSROOM TEACHING

LESSON 1 : INTRODUCTION

18
Class : 4 Science 2

Enrolment : 34

Level of Proficiency : Average

Topic : Poem- Nature ( Introduction)

Instructions for the Classroom Activities :

Activity 1 : Understanding The Title

 Students, now I am going to distribute a worksheet.
 I want you to brainstorm for words related to nature and complete the worksheet.
 Try to come up with as many words as possible.
 You may write the words based on your own experience or based on the slides that you
watched just now.

Activity 2 : The Poem – Make It Right

 Students, now you are going to listen to a model reading of the poem
 Now, I will distribute worksheet 2 containing lines from the poem.
 I will play the model reading again.
 Listen and rearrange the lines correctly according to the poem.

Classroom Discourse Analysis:

Negotiation Of Meaning

Negotiation of meaning was done throughout the lesson. This was mainly because the lesson was
an introduction to the poem Nature.I explained the meaning of the word nature by giving its
definition. I also explained the importance of nature in our lives, the significance of the title and
explained the synopsis of the poem. After each activity, discussion of answers were done
together with the students. Negotiation of meaning is important to maximize students’
understanding about the topic.

Clarification Request and Comprehension Check

19
I used questioning technique in order to increase students thinking skill as well as to check their
understanding. Questioning helps to keep students attentive and engaged in the activities. I also
gave clues when students struggle to answer or voice out their opinions.

Examples from my classroom teaching:

 “What did/can you see in the video clips?”

 “What is the importance of nature to us/ in our lives?”
 “What is nature?”
 “Can you read out the words”
 “What is the name of his homeland?”
 “What is cane?”

Revoicing and Repetition

Revoicing was done in a positive way. I used positive remarks such as ‘good’, ‘very good’ and
‘good try’ in order to encourage students to answer the questions and speak in the class.
Positive remarks is extremely important to boost students’ confidence, especially among
passive students. I also repeated answers given by students when they were not loud
enough and reluctant to speak. Since my students were reluctant and shy to voice out
their ideas, I gave clues to prompt them to come up with answers.

Examples from my classroom teaching:

 Repeated answers given by students – “water”, “birds’, “tree”, “plants”

 “These are the words related to nature”
 “Good try Izzat, what he said was right”
 “Good”, “Well done”
 “Only that? What more?”
 “Come on….”
 “Yes, you are right”
 “Is the nature important to us? In what way?”

Lesson Transition Pattern – Signposting

20
 Signposting is used to prepare students for the lesson and to shift to the next activity. It is
important to get students move on to the next stage of the lesson. It helps to signal that signal
teacher’s intention to the students that it is time to move to another activity.

Example from my classroom teaching:

 “O.K class, we shall move on to activity two”

 “Now, I will show you some slides”
 “Put aside your books, relax and watch this video clip”
 “For the next slot, I’m going to introduce the title of the poem”
 “O.K we shall discuss the answers together”

Reflection – The Effectiveness of the activities

The response given by the students was good. They were very cooperative and attentive
throughout the lesson. Students were able to come up with words related to nature and rearrange
the lines of the poem. The visual aids helped the students to get better picture of nature and kept
them engaged in the lesson. Overall, I am satisfied with the classroom teaching. In future I wish
to pay more attention to my questioning techniques and time management.

21